Ramayana — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 73, Shloka 1

इन्द्रजितः ब्रह्मास्त्र-यागः तथा वानरसेनाविध्वंसः

Indrajit’s Brahmastra Rite and the Crushing of the Vanara Host

Devanagari script

ततोहतान्राक्षसपुङ्गवांस्तान् देवान्तकादित्रिशिरोतिकायान् ।रक्षोगणास्तत्रहतावशिष्टास्तेरावणायत्वरिताश्शशंसुः ।।।।

Transliteration

tato hatān rākṣasa-puṅgavāṃs tān devāntakādi-triśiro-’tikāyān | rakṣo-gaṇās tatra hatāvaśiṣṭās te rāvaṇāya tvaritāḥ śaśaṃsuḥ ||

Translation

随后，那些在屠戮中侥幸存活的罗刹余众急忙奔赴罗波那，禀告说：德梵坦迦、特利希罗萨与阿提迦耶——其中最为杰出的——已被诛杀。

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb

• hatān: slain
• hatān: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √han (धातु) (भूतकृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Accusative, Plural; qualifying tān

• tān: them
• tān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• sahasā: suddenly
• sahasā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sahasā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb

• niśamya: having heard
• niśamya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śam (धातु) + ni- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: Absolutive (ल्यप्), indeclinable verbal; 'having heard/learnt'

• rājā: the king (Ravana)
• rājā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• mumoha: became deluded/fainted
• mumoha: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √muh (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular

• paripluta-akṣaḥ: with tear-flooded eyes
• paripluta-akṣaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: paripluta + akṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; बहुव्रीहि: pariplute akṣiṇī yasya (whose eyes are flooded); qualifying rājā

• putra-kṣayam: loss of (his) son
• putra-kṣayam: Karma (कर्म) (object of thinking)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra + kṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular; तत्पुरुष: putrasya kṣayaḥ (loss of son)

• bhrātṛ-vadham: slaying of (his) brother
• bhrātṛ-vadham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhrātṛ + vadha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular; तत्पुरुष: bhrātuḥ vadhaḥ (killing of brother)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction

• ghoram: dreadful
• ghoram: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghora (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular; qualifying putrakṣayam/bhrātṛvadham (dreadful)

• vicintya: having reflected
• vicintya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √cint (धातु) + vi- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: Absolutive (ल्यप्), indeclinable verbal

• rājā: the king
• rājā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; repeated for emphasis

• vipulam: deeply/greatly
• vipulam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (परिमाण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vipula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Accusative, Singular; adverbial accusative (extent/intensity) qualifying pradadhyau

• pradadhyau: pondered
• pradadhyau: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√dhyai (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular

Context

Then the Rakshasas who survived the killings, hurriedly reported to the Rakshasa king, Ravana about the killing of Devanthaka, Trisira and Atikaya.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Devāntaka
• Triśiras
• Atikāya
• Rākṣasa troops

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

The verse highlights karmic consequence and moral causality in itihāsa: violent campaigns grounded in adharma culminate in irreversible loss, which must be faced in truth (satya) through reporting and acknowledgment.

What is the narrative situation?

After major Rākṣasa champions fall in battle, the surviving troops rush to inform Rāvaṇa, escalating the crisis and prompting further decisions.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Candor under pressure: even amid fear and defeat, the survivors deliver factual news, enabling leadership response (whether wise or reckless).